As I was sorting through magazines and catalogs that came over the holidays I was reminded that the December Patrones had come just before Christmas but due to the general holiday mayhem, it had been put aside without a really good look.
So I pulled it out and was reminded how much I like the fashion-forward emphasis of this magazine. As usual there are quite a few designs I am interested in making.
Now this also poses a problem of sorts, because this was the last issue of my Patrones subscription and I need to decide if I am going to subscribe again or not. Last year we subscribed through clicking on an option on the website. The website has been redone and this option is no longer available. There is an email address for subscriptions, but then I started thinking, and I haven’t written them yet.
Last year the subscription price for all subscriptions outside the EU was 288.4 Euros, most of which goes to airmail postage. At the time I subscribed, in December, the exchange rate for US dollars was quite good and I paid roughly $322 for the subscription. It was expensive, but I could rationalize it.
The dollar started going down against the Euro. In April I checked the price following some inquiries and found that one could subscribe through Amazon.com for about $425.00 which seemed pretty pricey, but when I did the math with the exchange rate at that time I found the direct subscription to be $393.72 (see my post of April 28, 2007). That was pretty expensive and really not that far out of line considering that Amazon probably doesn’t get that many subscriptions for Patrones, they probably get them all delivered to their warehouse and then redistribute them to subscribers. I am sure the people at Amazon have figured out a pretty effective formula for balancing the profits on losses on individual items based on demand and desirability in such a way that the business remains profitable.
But back to the topic at hand. I figured the subscription price has to be at least what it was last year, and it may have gone up. I didn’t want to write to the publisher without at least having a vague idea of what I might be getting into. So figuring the price of 288.4 Euros at the current exchange rate (as of Wednesday) I came up with approximately $424.00 US dollars, which is more than $100 more than I paid a little over a year ago.
This gave me pause. The current Amazon price is $450, again maintaining about the same $25 markup for shipping/handling and processing. But although I love the Patrones magazine, and there are usually several patterns I want to make I need to think about whether there are enough patterns to warrant the price. If the subscription price was $424 for 12 issues it would come out to $36.00 an issue. I could probably get them on ebay for $24 an issue, perhaps a little less, figuring on using the express air-mail shipping. There are probably at least 3 patterns and often much more in each issue that appeal, so that works out to $12 a pattern. But there are two children’s issues which I don’t use.
On a price per pattern basis I don’t find it outrageous. I don’t usually manage to buy patterns on deep sale because the stores that offer those discounts are not located near my home.
But still, I simply cannot wrap my head around the idea of spending $425 for a magazine subscription, despite the fact that many professional journals cost more than than that per year. DH’s professional journals are more than that. When I was active in IEEE and ACM and subscribed to several journals I spent considerably more than the price of the Patrones magazine. But those were professional expenses. I am not sure I can rationalize a sewing magazine for a hobby the same way I can justify an academic journal which is used for professional education.
Well. I have to think about it. I might be looking for those issues on eBay and calling Around the World more frequently.
Comments
18 responses to “Patrones??”
Oy. That is a lot of money. I would have to think twice about it also. Do we know why they are so much more expensive?
Oy. That is a lot of money. I would have to think twice about it also. Do we know why they are so much more expensive?
It’s taken me something like three years to argue myself into an $80/year BWOF subscription…Patrones is CLEARLY beyond my reach!
I had no idea it was that expensive!
It’s taken me something like three years to argue myself into an $80/year BWOF subscription…Patrones is CLEARLY beyond my reach!
I had no idea it was that expensive!
Hi, I’m a total lurker, and I have blogs like yours to thank for even knowing about Patrones! So thank you! Because I love Patrones, and when I bought my first issue on a visit to NYC in 2007, I became totally obsessed with somehow having access to it regularly in San Francisco where I live. After months of hassling all the international newsstands here, I finally sent an email to the Patrones publishers through a link on their website (patrones@hymsa.com) asking them how much a subscription would be to the US.
Because the $450 Amazon price seemed totally unreasonable — you can open up a US magazine and see that the international subscription price is never that high — maybe $50-$70.
I sent the email in English and Spanish. They wrote me back in Spanish. A subscription would cost 100 euro. That was about $140 or so back in October when I looked it up. So my boyfriend got it for me for my November birthday and my first issue is the December one that you photographed.
So deal with the publisher and don’t give an extra $300 to whatever reseller is working through Amazon.
You really do have to know some Spanish to work with the publisher though. But nothing too fancy.
Natasha
Hi, I’m a total lurker, and I have blogs like yours to thank for even knowing about Patrones! So thank you! Because I love Patrones, and when I bought my first issue on a visit to NYC in 2007, I became totally obsessed with somehow having access to it regularly in San Francisco where I live. After months of hassling all the international newsstands here, I finally sent an email to the Patrones publishers through a link on their website (patrones@hymsa.com) asking them how much a subscription would be to the US.
Because the $450 Amazon price seemed totally unreasonable — you can open up a US magazine and see that the international subscription price is never that high — maybe $50-$70.
I sent the email in English and Spanish. They wrote me back in Spanish. A subscription would cost 100 euro. That was about $140 or so back in October when I looked it up. So my boyfriend got it for me for my November birthday and my first issue is the December one that you photographed.
So deal with the publisher and don’t give an extra $300 to whatever reseller is working through Amazon.
You really do have to know some Spanish to work with the publisher though. But nothing too fancy.
Natasha
Have you thought about sharing a subscription with another hobbyist or two in your area? Maybe stick a notice up at the local good fabric store(s)? I would.
All these magazines cost more here because the patterns are inside them, and all you have to do is trace your size onto tracing or pattern paper. We don’t have pattern stores, and how I miss them!
Have you thought about sharing a subscription with another hobbyist or two in your area? Maybe stick a notice up at the local good fabric store(s)? I would.
All these magazines cost more here because the patterns are inside them, and all you have to do is trace your size onto tracing or pattern paper. We don’t have pattern stores, and how I miss them!
Well, I think it may be worth checking out contacting the publisher directly. Somehow, I thought that’s what you were doing when subscribing through their website.
I have 4 issues of Patrones here, and have yet to use a single pattern, so I totally understand your hesitation.
The mag that I wish had patterns: !Hola! They put out a biannual fashion issue that is TDF!
We’re due for a chat, are you home and avail today?
Well, I think it may be worth checking out contacting the publisher directly. Somehow, I thought that’s what you were doing when subscribing through their website.
I have 4 issues of Patrones here, and have yet to use a single pattern, so I totally understand your hesitation.
The mag that I wish had patterns: !Hola! They put out a biannual fashion issue that is TDF!
We’re due for a chat, are you home and avail today?
I don’t know if anyone is interested, but I have a lot of 26 Patrones Magazines from 2003-2006 (but mainly 2005 and 2006 and a couple from 1994) in excellent condition as well as a few Burda Mags: considering what a subscriptoion costs, I was hoping to sell the entire lot for $135, quite a savings over the $400 yearly subscription price…A friend passed away and they were hers. The list follows, please let me know if you are interested!
Thanks,
Michael
Patrones Moda Internacional No. 201 Octubre 2003
Patrones Mod Internacaional no. 213 Oct. 2003
Patrones Moda Internacional No 215 Dicienbre 2003
Patrones Moda Internacional no. 216 Enero 2004
Patrones Extra no.217 Feb 2004 9 suplementos
Patrones No 228, Avance Primavera 2005
Patrones Extra No. 2229 Febrero 2005 9 suplementos
Patrones Ninos No 230, March 2005
Patrones Tallas Grandes no. 32 Abril 2005
Patrones Extra No. 233, Junio 2005 9 Suplementos
Patrones Tallas Grandes No.33 Noviembre 2005
Patrones Moda Internacional No. 239, Diciembre 2005
Patrones Moda Internacional No. 240, Enero 2006
Patrones Disfraces No. 31 Enero 2005
Patrones Coleccion Fiesta Abril 2005
Patrones Especial Vacaciones July-August 2005
Patrones Extra No 235, Setiembre 2005
Patrones Ninos No 236 Setiembre 2005
Patrones Extra No. 241, Feb. 2006 9 suplementos
Patrones Joven, no. 250 Novienbre 2006
Patrones Coleccion Fiesta No. 251 Diciembre 2006
Patrones Otono/Invierno No. 246 Sept., 2006
Patrones Internacional Otono 1994
Patrones Extra No. 249 October 2006, 9 Suplementos
Patrones Moda Internacioanl Spring 1994
Patrones Extra No. 205 Febrero 2003
BURDA WORLD OF FASHION MAGAZINES
Burda 9/2004
Burda Dressmaking Special vol3 no. 4 1995
Burda August 2004
Burda October 2004
Burda 10/2005
I don’t know if anyone is interested, but I have a lot of 26 Patrones Magazines from 2003-2006 (but mainly 2005 and 2006 and a couple from 1994) in excellent condition as well as a few Burda Mags: considering what a subscriptoion costs, I was hoping to sell the entire lot for $135, quite a savings over the $400 yearly subscription price…A friend passed away and they were hers. The list follows, please let me know if you are interested!
Thanks,
Michael
Patrones Moda Internacional No. 201 Octubre 2003
Patrones Mod Internacaional no. 213 Oct. 2003
Patrones Moda Internacional No 215 Dicienbre 2003
Patrones Moda Internacional no. 216 Enero 2004
Patrones Extra no.217 Feb 2004 9 suplementos
Patrones No 228, Avance Primavera 2005
Patrones Extra No. 2229 Febrero 2005 9 suplementos
Patrones Ninos No 230, March 2005
Patrones Tallas Grandes no. 32 Abril 2005
Patrones Extra No. 233, Junio 2005 9 Suplementos
Patrones Tallas Grandes No.33 Noviembre 2005
Patrones Moda Internacional No. 239, Diciembre 2005
Patrones Moda Internacional No. 240, Enero 2006
Patrones Disfraces No. 31 Enero 2005
Patrones Coleccion Fiesta Abril 2005
Patrones Especial Vacaciones July-August 2005
Patrones Extra No 235, Setiembre 2005
Patrones Ninos No 236 Setiembre 2005
Patrones Extra No. 241, Feb. 2006 9 suplementos
Patrones Joven, no. 250 Novienbre 2006
Patrones Coleccion Fiesta No. 251 Diciembre 2006
Patrones Otono/Invierno No. 246 Sept., 2006
Patrones Internacional Otono 1994
Patrones Extra No. 249 October 2006, 9 Suplementos
Patrones Moda Internacioanl Spring 1994
Patrones Extra No. 205 Febrero 2003
BURDA WORLD OF FASHION MAGAZINES
Burda 9/2004
Burda Dressmaking Special vol3 no. 4 1995
Burda August 2004
Burda October 2004
Burda 10/2005
This is for Michael Kunkes who posted about a lot of Patrones. Are they still available? I’m hoping you are still following this thread. If so, please email me at arielle DOT bkshlf AT gmail DOT com. I’m very interested…
This is for Michael Kunkes who posted about a lot of Patrones. Are they still available? I’m hoping you are still following this thread. If so, please email me at arielle DOT bkshlf AT gmail DOT com. I’m very interested…
You can get a subscription at €124,- a year (app. 120 am. dollars) at modeinfo.com.
Success!!!
You can get a subscription at €124,- a year (app. 120 am. dollars) at modeinfo.com.
Success!!!
bon jour (madam) je suis un jeunne marocaine j aime boucoup votre charmante magasine et j aimerai avoir les nouvelle nemero de chaque mois ici au maroc et comment merci enormement .
bon jour (madam) je suis un jeunne marocaine j aime boucoup votre charmante magasine et j aimerai avoir les nouvelle nemero de chaque mois ici au maroc et comment merci enormement .